India to face Bangladesh in SAFF U-16 Championships

Both India and Bangladesh have already sealed their semi-final berths after registering win over Sri Lanka.

Kathmandu: High on confidence after their clinical win over Sri Lanka in their opening encounter, India would look to see off Bangladesh's challenge here on Thursday, in order to top their group in the second edition of the SAFF U-16 Championships.

Both India and Bangladesh have already sealed their semi-final berths after registering win over Sri Lanka. But India's head coach Goutam Ghosh is in no mood to relax and is hoping to rectify the mistakes which his wards had committed in the opening match at the Army Ground.

"The second match will be about rectifying the mistakes we made in the first one against the Lankans," Ghosh said.

"We played well for the entire length of the match but we were not flawless. We have been working on our weaknesses and come Thursday, if we succeed in not making the same mistakes, we will be successful. This is more important to me than the result," added the coach.

Ghosh, however, said the result in tomorrow's game remains immaterial as youth development programme requires long-term goals.

"You take any top country with sound youth system in place. They set long-term goals. More than winning, the aim is to nurture players for the future -- so that 10 years later, our players can compete with the best," he said.

He said that these trips help the boys understand different cultures and give them international exposure, which at their age is more important than mere results.

"The fact that the boys are going through the grind of a tournament and adapting to different cultures is very encouraging. These tours will help the boys become mature," he said.

"As far as victories are concerned, that will come naturally if we are playing well and sticking to our philosophy. In fact, it will be an indication for us that we are on the right track. But at the same time, our style of possession football should not be compromised at any cost," Ghosh added.